TREVISO
AND THE MARCA GIOIOSA
(situated ca. 45 minutes by car from here) it is still
surrounded by its sixteenth century walls whose gloominess
is alleviated by the lapping waters of the river Sile
at their base. These currents then pass on through to
meet up inside with the river Bottenigo, this dividing
up into various smaller canals, turning the town after
this into a shimmering mass of clear waters which flow
between the houses, running along the river banks, watering
the gardens and revolving the wheels of the old mills. - S. Nicolo' church: it is the
most important church in Treviso. Built between the thirteenth
and fourteenth centuries its high brick walls reflect
the simplicity of design which was a hallmark of Venetian
architecture, particularly that close to the lagoon. - St. Francesco church: very
interesting imposing roman church housing the grave of
Dante Alighieri's son. - Trecento's Palace: of roman
origin, it's arceded and flanked on either side by high
houses. Palazzo dei Trecento, where the town's Grand Council
of 300 members -half of them aristocratics, half representing
the common people - used to meet, stands with its red
brick walls and open trading arcade below it, expressing
all the solemnity and pride of medieval Treviso. Near
it stands the Loggia dei Cavalieri, reminding us of all
the aristocratic displays of pomp and splendor in this
area dense with castles and fortified towns. - Cathedrale: it's naturally
of great artistic importance. At the end of the fifteenth
century it was rebuilt by Lombardo, and later on, in the
eighteenth century, it was improved on by Giordano Riccati.
Inside is the Malchiostro, or the Annunziata Chapel, on
account of Titian's famous colorful "Annunciazione"
hanging over the altar. - Pescheria: the fish market
situated on a very little isle is the most characteristic
district of the old town with its roman frescoes houses
built on the canal waters and the characteristic Riviera
dei Buranelli.
In the province of Treviso:
CONEGLIANO
on the edge of the plain stands the castle of Conegliano
which has been turned into a museum containing the old
Scuola dei Battuti with a series of frescoes by Pozzoserrato;
Follina: nearby the lake
of Follina the Cisternians built an important abbey;
CASTELFRANCOgrown around the foot of an
old castle - it is impossible to set foot there without
feeling the sense of time which also flow through all
pictures of Giorgione and which transforms everything
- ruins, plants, people and even, in the Tempesta, lightning
in the night - into a sorrowful melody and a realization
of the melancony and gentleness of existence;
ASOLO
in a background where ancient battlement walls embellish
the outlines of the hills, the town of Asolo takes place
as queen of the area. Talking of queens, Caterina Cornaro,
the queen of Cyprus, received Asolo, as a feudal state,
from Venice, in exchange for the large Mediterranean island.
The old town of Asolo looks down over the plain from the
first of a series of hills which follow each other like
a large garden as far as the foot of Monte Grappa. Facing
the south, protected from northern winds, the Asolean
area has a lush and typically Mediterranean colorful vegetation;
Maser: at the foot of the
Asolean hills stands perhaps the most beautiful of all
the Palladian villas; it is certainly the most famous
on account of the decorations by Paolo Veronese and Alessandro
Vittoria. The villa was commissioned by the Barbaro family,
one of the most illustrious representatives of Venetian
aristocracy of that period. Behind the villa there's a
very interesting old coach museum;
Possagno: the surrounding
hills can also boast of many other buildings: villas,
small churches and farmhouses crowded onto these slopes
where one village is visible from the next. The busy pace
set by the appearance of these buildings gives the impression
of coming to a halt only on reaching Possagno, when the
rigorous and imposing stature of Canova's Tempio comes
into view.
